Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) is a well known thermoplastic polymer--it can be produced by a variety of methods including two stage polymerization or mixing of an ABS-type polymer known as concentrate with styrene-acrylonitrile (SAN), also a well known thermoplastic polymer. Blends of ABS or SAN with other rubbery polymers, such as polybutadiene, are known as means of altering the thermoplastic properties of the ABS or SAN.
Polyamides (nylon) are well known thermoplastic polymers. Blends of polyamides with rubbery polymers are known as means of altering the thermoplastic properties of the nylon. Blends of nylon, rubbery carboxylated butadiene-acrylonitrile polymer, metal oxide or hydroxide and metal halides are known--see U.S. Pat. No. 4,508,867.
The blending of certain thermoplastic polymers with various rubbery polymers to produce rubbery thermoplastic blends is thus known in the art. The rubbery thermoplastic blends so produced are usually deficient because the rubbery polymer, which is only physically dispersed within the blend, may be extracted or because the blend possesses a less than desired balance of properties due to the fact that the rubbery polymer is present only as a two dimensional network. If the rubbery polymer could be converted to a three dimensional network within the blend, an improved balance of properties would be expected including certain desirably rubbery characteristics not present in the original thermoplastic polymer. In particular, if the three dimensional network of the rubbery polymer had a labile nature and could, during processing of the blend, be at least partially broken and reformed, the blend would further be readily processable and yet have the aforesaid desirable balance of properties.
It is an objective of this invention to provide novel rubbery thermoplastic blends.